new york ranks number 2 at $56,000. and new jersey right behind at $54,000. then there are the extreme examples. bloomberg reports one prison psychiatrist made more than $800,000 last year and a chp division chief retired with more than $483,000 with salary, pension and other exceptions. >> that's a lot. >> reporter: reaction on the street today was unanimous. >> definitely something should be done about that. >> even if those examples are not representative of the broader state employee population, it's the kind of thing that leaves a mark and resonates with the voters. >> reporter: at usc's unruh institute of politics, a professor points out this story comes just one month after california voters were convinced the state was so broke, that a tax increase was necessary to pay for the beleaguered public school system. >> next time there's an initiative on the ballot here in los angeles or statewide, or the next time a viewer sees a story on your station about public employee benefits, they are going to remember this story. that's going to make them that much